Tag: depression

Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) believes connecting its research programs with patients and their advocates is critical to having relevant and high impact programs.

OBI has worked with each of its Integrated Discovery Programs (ID) to form five separate Patient Advisory Committees (PACs) that consist of advisors from various neurological health charities (e.g., Alzheimer Society of Ontario or Autism Ontario), researchers, caregivers, and patients. The purpose of these committees is to bring the patient voice to our ID Programs, promote knowledge exchange between patients, advocates, caregivers and researchers, discuss key issues for patients, and connect the research back to their communities faster. Continue reading “Connecting Research Back to the Community”

In Canada, suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24 year olds. For First Nation’s youth, the rate of suicide is five to seven times higher than that of non-Aboriginal youth. Although the incidence of suicide for each First Nation community is different, these statistics remain unacceptably high, inevitably devastating the overall well-being of many close-knit communities. Continue reading “Promoting Wellness and Resiliency in Communities”

Individuals who have attempted suicide often say that if one person had taken a minute to ask them how they were feeling it could have prevented them from engaging in suicidal behaviour. While it’s healthy to regularly discuss feelings with loved ones, and we want to support those in need, how can we tell when someone is contemplating suicide and if we should talk about it with them? Beyond individual help, it can also be challenging to find systemic help. A recent ICES report found that mental health and addictions care for youth is poor in five provinces, including Ontario.

There is a tendency to categorize people who have died or been injured by overdose as “others,” but overdose can affect anyone – our friends, our parents, our siblings, our children and even ourselves. The impact of overdose extends beyond each individual, onto their family, their friends and the people who care about them which is why we need to address the stigma around overdose collectively.

The brain is complicated. After a century of research we are still making new discoveries every day. Our knowledge of how this organ works is limited because it is a network of highly-specialized cells and the network is always being rewired. Continue reading “Hitting A Bullseye Using Biomarkers”

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Welcome to the OBI Blog

The Ontario Brain Institute is a provincially‐funded, not‐for‐profit research centre seeking to maximize the impact of neuroscience and establish Ontario as a world leader in brain research, commercialization and care.

This blog shares stories about how brain research pushes the boundaries of science, makes a positive impact on our health, and grows the economy through new forms of innovation.